Previous attendees include three-star generals, admirals and SES/SISs. The seminar’s all-afternoon line-up of speakers will provide invaluable advice to help professionals mitigate the “10-month blues” and avoid “feeling around in the corporate darkness” once an industry position is secured.

The event will also address how executives can transition to their second job. Almost 80 percent of new executives only stay at their first post-government company for over 18 months.The seminar is geared toward GS-14 executives and above who will head to a director, vice president or higher position in the defense industry. New this year: Executives who successfully transitioned to subject matter experts and media commentator, as well as entrepreneurs and those clinching global security opportunities in Silicon Valley, will provide workshop sessions.

Keynote speaker topics and breakout session topics include:

Transition Techniques and Paradigm Shift: What they don’t tell you at your retirement seminar

Public, Private and Private Equity Corporate Culture: What to Know Before You Go

First 90 days, 12 Months and 18 Months in Industry

A career pivot takes time and consideration, especially for those who spent their entire lives in public service and reached positions of power, influence and privilege. If this change is not managed well, a company’s new hire investment could be jeopardized and the incoming executive may experience disillusionment and a failed career start. As Mark Chadason, founder of the seminar says, “There is no Jerry Maguire in transition; nobody represents your interests as you change from public servant to business executive.”

Previous keynote speakers include:

John Sutton, chief operating officer at KeyW

Balan Ayyar, president and CEO at Percipient.ai

Joe Cubba, vice president of defense and intelligence at IBM

Frank Helmick, vice president of mission solutions at SOSi

The program also includes insights from executive recruiters, entrepreneurs and personal branding consultants.

Since 2016, the program has expanded to include speakers from government contracting, global security and risk assessment as well as security startup organizations. WashingtonExec runs these seminars because the school of “hard knocks” is not easy. The learning curve for organizations with senior government executives transitioning to the private sector is large; both employers and future employees deserve an effective transition process.